ECOCLUB Blogs™

The red deer and fallow deer rutting seasons, through a unique and exclusive interpretative experience, in a privileged spot in the heart of the Serranía de Cuenca" The arrival of autumn does not pass unnoticed for Nature-lovers in the Serranía de Cuenca. From mid-September until mid-October, two fascinating wildlife phenomenons happen in our forests: the Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus) and the fallow deer (Dama Dama) rutting seasons. A chorus of bellowing temporarily disrupts the peace of autumnal evenings in the Serranía de Cuenca, as relentless hymns to life. And at Azeral, we do not want to miss it. We want to witness these gifts of the forest, but not only by sight and sound… During the red deer and fallow deer rutting seasons, we offer you a chance to experience the Serranía de Cuenca —feel it, watch it, and hear it— from the perspective of our protagonists. In a privileged spot in the heart of the Natural Park of the Serranía de Cuenca, we have designed a unique and exclusive interpretative experience, with the invaluable support of Ecoturismo Cuenca, named “Discover the secrets of the red deer rut”. This activity is entirely aimed at experiencing and enjoying the red deer...

Petition to the Prime Minister of Greece: "We support the court appeal launched in May 2016 by citizens of Crete and environmental, archaeological, and other organisations, to save the unique archaeological and natural landscape of Kavo Sidero in East Crete. The proposed golf resort development is going to affect an area which has been designated by the European Union a NATURA area twice, and in need of special protection. It has been also declared a UNESCO Geopark."  https://www.change.org/p/to-the-prime-minister-of-greece-save-the-kavo-sidero-unique-archaeological-and-natural-landscape

Crete, Greece, September 19-25, 2016: Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries Educational Network in partnership with The Center for Responsible Travel is hosting a unique program in Crete: Discovering the Culture, Nature and Cuisine of Crete. During this program we will meet many residents working on action programs to protect and celebrate their cultural and culinary heritage. Space is limited to 20 people. Registration Deadline July 15, 2016. More information http://www.cookingincrete.com/Schedule.html    

Sultan Ghani, 63, is Chitral’s celebrated sitar player. He was the founding member and an indispensable figure of Al-Fatah Music Group, named after Fatahuddin, a reputed Khowar singer, who fanned alive the dying ambers of Khowar folk music back in 1980s. Here goes the story of Mr. Ghani in his own narration. I started strumming fifty years back when I was only thirteen year old. In pursuing the passion, I was virtually impressed by my father Abdul Ghani and uncle Purdom, both fine-tuned instrumentalists of the time. They used to play sitting around the central hearth of traditional Chitrali house (baipash) and basking the warmth of oak fire during the long cold winter nights, and I intently listened and observed them. Gradually I felt the urge to touch sitar, caressed its strings and made up mind to play it secretly since children were then discouraged to look at musical instrument, let alone playing it. Initially, I practiced with great devotion and hardly slept at night. In the course of time, my skills improved and expanded. Intuitively, it dawned on me how to set up proper coordination of fingers and gain natural rhythm to produce better music. When my father knew about...

As usual, it basically depends on one’s own attitude. To start with, follow the basic “Leave No Trace” rules, pay attention to any special limitations of the place you visit (e.g national park), respect local culture, and shop locally. Energy (and water) supply is limited in motorhomes (compared with your home or a hotel room). So, unless you are stationed at an organized camp site, you’ll have to reduce your consumption even if you are not so eco-sensitive—this already puts you in a different mindset, which is a good thing. But note that most motorhomes nowadays come with solar panels, which are typically enough to keep you autonomous. Moreover, with a motorhome, you can drive less, as you can see everything you want, without having to return every night to some “base”. There is also plenty of space to carry bicycles, so that you may casually drive around the area and enjoy nature with a minimal carbon footprint. And of course, since you are so close to nature, you develop a much larger appetite for walking/hiking. Last but not least: if possible, travel in low season. This way, you get the most of the places you visit, while at the same...

STIPA Consultancy&Ecotourism with Superior Institute of Environment present the fourth edition of the course "Ecotourism: Design and Marketing Products".STIPA's team and Gonzalo de la Fuente del Val in collaboration with the Superior Institute of Environment (ISM) have designed this course which the aim to develop ecotourism products that follows innovation, competitiveness and sustainability objectives. We want to open new perspectives of ecotourism business in Spain and Latin American countries, such as ecotourism in protected areas or not, or ecotourism linked to private areas through land stewardship agreements. Always under the premise of creating ethic products and work collaboratively to improve the brand of a destination. The course of "Ecotourism: Design and Marketing of Products" beginning on June 15, is taught entirely ON LINE through the ISM Campus. 80 hours; Spanish language.  

Snow ebbed with snow glory abloom Mirth returned, withdrawn the gloom From wintry anchor breaking free Children on colleting spree, Of the gift so coveted to bring To herald and welcome spring   Thru chimney they hand the ‘glory’ A tradition telling wonderful story Receiving walnut gift, dry fruits and sweet With occasional reward of homespun tweet Elders enjoy peacefully sitting To herald and welcome spring   ‘Happy spring’ the hamlet’s abuzz A ripple of jubilation that it cause Children with snow playing foul Nature prevails stirring the soul Elders drum, kids doing swing To herald and welcome spring   Wears the earth green garments Refreshing aura, the soil ferments Thick is the air with butterfly And a group of dove overfly Juniper scent lightly wafting To herald and welcome spring   Sloughed into flute a branch of willow Rocking atop the rock looking below Engrossed as if in the midst of pray Melodious notes a lonely flutist play With peaceful herd nearby grazing To herald and welcome spring      

My eyebrows reached my hairline when I heard my hometown had a biodiversity strategy. With over a million people, I hadn't thought of Calgary, Alberta as a biodiversity hotspot. True, it has the most extensive urban pathway network in North America and I've enjoyed watching owls and eagles along the Bow River in the city center but isn't a city a bad home for wildlife? Surprisingly, there are more opportunities for critters than you might think. Next to parkland, wasteland, railway yards and industrial areas have high numbers of rare and important species. Perhaps because those areas have open spaces and few people. Some animals don't coexist well with humans like the sharp-tailed grouse eliminated by off-leash dog use on Nose Hill but others adapt. Scientists have observed some urban birds adjusting their calls to be heard over traffic noise. The City of Calgary tabled its biodiversity strategy in March 2015. With 80% of Canadians currently living in urban areas and with a projected increase of 90% in North American urban areas by 2030, it makes sense to develop biodiversity strategies that mitigate urban sprawl.  City of Calgary representative Chris Manderson says Calgarians understand abstract biodiversity concepts and 74% think biodiversity...

Live Session on Tourism Financial Accountability and Economic Growth With the aim of helping turn the Panama Papers scandal into a useful "teachable moment" for the tourism industry, TrainingAid is hosting a free and open live session on Thursday, April 14th featuring a presentation by Dr. Linda Ambrosie, the author of "Sun & Sea Tourism: Fantasy and Finance of the All-Inclusive Industry". Dr. Ambrosie will share key insights into the impact of exploitative tax practices, combined with local corruption, throughout the global tourism value chain, and offer recommendations for tourism industry stakeholders - including multinational enterprises, tourism managers, destination organizations and policy-makers - on how to advocate for solutions and positive change. Register for free to join the live session and to receive access to the video replay.   Tourism Finance: Why Accountability Matters to All As the Panama Papers scandal has brought the world’s attention to the scope and implications of global corruption and tax evasion, we’re reminded of the importance of host destinations’ ability to collect and effectively - and ethically - manage tax revenues from multinational tourism businesses in order to ensure the health of the industry. According to new studies, however, only an estimated 20% of the...

Community-Based Tourism (CBT) can be a great way to empower communities and support sustainable local development by providing alternative livelihoods, expanding economic opportunities, creating a sense of pride, and supporting development needs in a way that is in line with long-term priorities. So why do so many CBT projects fail? In the upcoming TrainingAid Live Session, Kelly Galaski (Program & Operations Manager for Americas & Europe, Planeterra Foundation) will discuss key challenges with CBT initiatives, and share practical insights on how to develop market-ready and financially viable community tourism products. TrainingAid Live Session, March 31st, 2016 Title: Key Factors in Successful Community Tourism Product DevelopmentPresenter: Kelly Galaski, Program & Operations Manager (Americas & Europe) for Planeterra FoundationDate & Time: Thursday, March 31st, 2016 - 10am EST (New York), 4pm CET (Berlin), 10pm ICT (Bangkok)Registration: Sign up for free here   About the Planeterra Foundation Planeterra Foundation is a non-profit organization established by global travel company G Adventures. Planeterra's projects around the world support social enterprise development to connect underserved communities to the tourism value chain.